Kintarō is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a yama-uba on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shuten-dōji, the terror of the region around Mount Ōe, he became a loyal follower of Minamoto no Yorimitsu under the new name Sakata no Kintoki . He is a popular figure in Bunraku and kabuki drama, and it is a custom to put up a Kintarō doll on Boy's Day in the hope that boys will become equally brave and strong.
Yama-uba with Kintaro by Utamaro, 1796
Oniwakamaru and the Giant Carp Fight Underwater by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1835, Brooklyn Museum
Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Kintarō by Yoshitoshi, 1886, Warriors Trembling with Courage
Watanabe no Tsuna (953–1025) was a Japanese samurai, a companion in arms of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, one of the earliest samurai to be famed for his military exploits in a number of tales and legends.
"Watanabe no Tsuna meets Ibaraki-dōji at Modoribashi Bridge." Ukiyo-e print by Utagawa Kunisada.
"A Strange Account of the Destruction of the Bandits by the Elite Four" (Watanabe no Tsuna, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Urabe no Suetake, and Fujiwara no Yasumasa.), Yomihon book by Utagawa Toyokuni and Takizawa Bakin.
Watanabe no Tsuna fighting Ibaraki, mid Edo-period wood carving
Watanabe no Tsuna fighting the oni Ibaraki, ukiyo-e print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi